A simple, everyday gesture, a shower taken without thinking... and a life turned upside down. This is what Grace Jamison, a 20-year-old American, experienced during a trip to the Dominican Republic. Her story , which went viral on social media, raises a question that many contact lens wearers have never considered.
Showering with contact lenses: a devastating infection
While staying in the Dominican Republic, Grace Jamison showered with her contact lenses in. The local tap water, which was poorly purified, contained a microscopic parasite: Acanthamoeba. Trapped between the lens and the cornea, this microorganism caused Acanthamoeba keratitis, a serious infection of the cornea.
Acanthamoeba is present in tap water, lakes, swimming pools, dust, and even soil. Contact lenses create imperceptible micro-fissures in the eye, allowing the parasite to infiltrate between the lens and the cornea with the slightest contact with contaminated water. The Contact Lens Society of America reminds us that "lenses are medical devices and that adhering to hygiene rules—especially avoiding contact with water while showering, swimming, or sleeping—is an essential part of their proper use."
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A misdiagnosis that made things worse
Back in the United States a few weeks later, Grace Jamison consulted an optician who misdiagnosed the infection and prescribed corticosteroid eye drops—a treatment contraindicated in this case. A week later, she was blind. She remained so for about two months before beginning appropriate treatment. Such a delayed diagnosis is unfortunately common for this condition, which is little known even among healthcare professionals.
A long and painful treatment
Acanthamoeba keratitis is a particularly difficult disease to treat. Grace Jamison explains that she has to apply eye drops every half hour or every hour. She describes intense pain radiating throughout her head, hypersensitivity to light, and difficulty sleeping.
She is alerting millions of contact lens wearers.
Since her diagnosis, Grace Jamison has used her social media to raise awareness. She urges contact lens wearers never to shower, swim, or sleep in their lenses, to wash their hands before handling them, and to always change the storage solution after each use. Her story has sparked a flood of reactions from people shocked that their optician never warned them.
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Ultimately, Grace Jamison's story serves as a reminder that a seemingly harmless action can have irreversible consequences. Wearing contact lenses also means adhering to strict hygiene rules—some of which remain too little known. A simple message, but potentially life-saving.
